Perkiomen Valley School District Students Pack the Court Room

More than fifty students from the Perkiomen Valley School District traveled an hour to be present in supporting their School Board as the district’s attorneys argued in defense of making the masking of students a recommended policy over one that mandated their use.  This class action lawsuit that is representing the families of three Perkiomen Valley elementary school students, who remain anonymous, has tentatively won a restraining order to reinstate an earlier policy that required masking.

Federal Judge Wendy Beetlestone of the Eastern District Court blocked the defense from presenting 3 out of 4 of their witnesses.  Supporting evidence from neighboring Bucks County was also prohibited from being entered into the record.

The School Board’s defense team was also not informed that a member of the defense, a school board member who voted to uphold universal school masking, would be called by the plaintiffs to testify until the morning of the hearing.  Judge Beetlestone consistently referred to the Superintendent of the school district as “the Good Doctor Russell” in a manner that many in the court room found condescending.

The judge did compliment Superintendent Barbara Russell and Kimberly Boyd, the Director of Special Education, for doing their job in looking after the welfare of the students and also acknowledged the presence of the many students in the court room as being very respectful and mindful of the proceedings.

The Perkiomen Valley School District voted, 5-4, to revise their mandatory mask policy to one that highly recommended the use of mask by students.  This action took effect on January 21st. Within a day the plaintiffs in this case filed for a temporary restraining order which was granted.

Students are now required by Federal court order to keep a proper fitted mask on at all times except when eating, drinking or on a designated mask break.  A poisonous snitch culture now envelopes the district and students are being reported for non-compliance at high rates.  It has been stated that there are lines of students, pulled out of class and waiting to be disciplined, at the principal’s office.

Judge Beetlestone’s decision will be release on Monday.   Parents and students fear that a request for Federal Marshals to maintain the order to mask the students against the School Board’s wishes may be granted.  Students walked out of school in protest over the court order last week.